Last-lock.



PATENTED SEPTQB. 1903.

J. T. HARDING.

LAST LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.27,1904.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. HARDING, OF NORTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO KRENTLER-ARNOLD HINGE LAST COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A

CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

LAST-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application filed. December 27, 1904. Serial No. 238,366.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. HARDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Last-Locks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is a last look operating on the principle of a toggle. whereby a last can be quickly and firmly locked and unlocked.

It is desirable in using certain kinds of hinged lasts, especially when made of wood, that means should be provided for locking them rigidly in extended position, said means being capable of changing its position more or less according to the usage, shrinkage, and changing conditions of the last. Accordingly I have devised a lock in the form of a movable lever or latch which binds against a cooperating part with more or less of a wedging and toggle action, forming a strut for bracing the parts into rigidly held extended position when desired, and at the same time being capable of becoming instantly unlocked without any special tool or exertion.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation my invention applied to a typical form of hinged last in unlocking position; Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof, showing the last ready to be locked; Fig. 3 shows the parts rigidly locked; and Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

For convenience of illustration I have shown my invention applied to an ordinary hinged last whose forepart a and heel-part b are joined together by a hinge c leaving a V- shaped gap or opening (1 above said hinge and abutting walls or ends 6 below said hinge (although it will be understood that my 'invention is readily applicable to most of the other kinds of hinged and divided lasts).

Pivotally secured to one of the last parts, preferably the heel-part at 1 is an arm or strut-like member 2. I prefer to mount this member 2 for pivotal movement, although not limiting myself thereto, as various other movements may be employed, such for instance as the sliding movement of the Lewis Patent No. 729,192, and I prefer to have the movement of the member 2 vertical, al-

though it will be obvious that said movement may be otherwise. At its opposite end the member 2 is provided with an engaging end 3 having a limited movement, preferably swinging, with relation to the member 2, said engaging end being preferably pivoted thereto at 4 at one end and having its other end slightly arc-shaped and corrugated, as indicated at 5, for better frictional engagement with the opposite Wall or surface of the part a. I prefer to provide the part a with a metal plate 6 roughened in suitable manner, as by transverse grooves 7, for giving positive gripping. action to the locking device. The adjacent ends of the parts 2 and 3 are so shaped as to provide only a very slight toggle action between the two, the end of the part 3 being shown for this purpose as beveled at 8. The result is that while the desired toggle action can take place, the part 3 is held automatically in proper position to engage the plate 6 at exactly the right point when the locking device is swung downwardly against the same, for insuring just the right spreading tension to secure permanence of locking. If the end 3 were simply pivoted on the part 2 to swing freely without limit, it would have to be adjusted with skill and accuracy to the plate 6 in order to provide certainty of locking at all times.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a movable locking member, either swinging as shown or sliding as mentioned above, and also that it is not new to provide a toggle permanently secured to the opposite last parts, my invention not residing in said movable member, nor in a toggle broadly considered, but in providing such movable member with a relatively movable independent gripping surface, so that when the member 2 moves, this movable surface will detachably engage the opposite part of the last and produce a wedging biting action because of its change of position with relation to said movable part, which will strongly brace and bind the parts of the last in proper lengthened position. In certain of my claims I have claimed the invention broadly, as thus defined, without restricting the same to the kind or direction of movement of the part 2, and in some of the claims also without restricting the same to the kind or direction of movement of the part 3 with relation to the member 2, while in others of the claims it will be noted that I have specified the pivotal movement and toggle action, which constitute the best and most complete embodiment of my invention as at present contemplated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A divided last, provided with a locking device, consisting of a movable member secured to one art of the last, and a part movable with re ation to and carried by said member and operated by the movement of said member to detachably grip the opposite part of the last and lock the last in rigid engthened position.

2. A divided last, one of whose parts carries a vertically movable locking member provided at its outer end with a relatively movable art adapted to be automatically and detac ably enga ed with the opposite part of the last by tie movement of said member to lock the last in rigid lengthened position.

3. A divided last, one of whose parts carries a vertically movable locking member provided at its outer end with a pivoted toggle-acting part having means at its outer end or detachably engaging the opposite portion of the last for rigidly locking the latter in lengthened position.

w 4. A hinged last, one of whose parts is provided with a swinging member, and a toggle-acting part pivoted at one end to the free end of said member, said part having its 0 posite end provided with means for detac ably engaging and biting into the o posite last part for immovably holding the last locked in lengthened position.

5. A hinged last, having a metal-engaging surface carried by one last part, and a toggle lever pivoted at one end to the opposite last part for engaging at its free jointed end with said metal surface.

6. A hinged last, containing a locking device in the form of a toggle lever pivoted at one end to one last part, for detachably engaging the opposite last part, said toggle lever containing means for causing the free end to engage automatically the opposite part of the last at a point permitting normal straightening of the toggle for locking the last in lengthened position.

In testimony. whereof, I have signed my name to this specification,'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. HARDING.

Witnesses:

E. A. WILLIs, M. ALICE NASH. 

